


and whatever a sun will always sing is you

by the_crownless_queen



Series: Sapphic September 2019 [3]
Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: F/F, Fake Dating!AU, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Sapphic September, Sapphic September 2019, or well it was trying to be but they managed to last one day before confession because too much love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-10-06 12:24:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20506964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_crownless_queen/pseuds/the_crownless_queen
Summary: The plan is simple: fake-date Maya in order to make Lucas jealous enough that he'll ask Riley to go to the dance with him.It doesn't quite work as intended, but nobody's complaining.





	and whatever a sun will always sing is you

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't watched the show in two years now (rip) but I still love those girls. Hopefully they still sound right :p
> 
> Written for Sapphic September Day 3: Fake-Dating.  
You can find the prompts I'm using [here](https://the-crownless-queen.tumblr.com/post/187393992430/sapphic-september-2019)
> 
> I hope you guys like this! :)

“I don’t get it,” Riley confesses, moaning into her bedspread. She’s lying on her bed, taking up so much room Maya barely any to sit, but it’s how they do things when they want to sulk. “Why won’t Lucas ask me to the winter formal? I made sure to drop all the hints, and everyone knows you have to ask the girl at least two weeks in advance so she can get the perfect dress, and figure out how to do her hair, and—”

Maya snorts. “Let me cut you off right there,” she says, because Riley’s voice is taking on that dreamy quality that means if Maya lets her talk soon they’ll be in Riley-town again.

“Nobody needs _ two weeks _ to pick a dress,” she continues, still idly playing with Riley’s hair.

Riley rolls over, pulling her hair out of Maya’s grasp. It slips through her fingers like what Maya imagines silk must feel like, and she experiences an absurd pang of loss for it.

“Of course nobody needs two weeks to pick _ a _ dress, Maya,” Riley retorts. “But she needs them to pick _ the perfect _ dress.”

She widens her eyes as she emphasizes the word ‘perfect’, and Maya can’t help but laugh.

“Sure, if you say so.” She knows better than to argue with Riley when her friend gets like this. She sighs, and shifts so she can cross her leg and face Riley properly. 

“Alright then. What can I do to help get Mr. Oblivious to pay attention to you and take you to the prom?”

“It’s winter formal.”

“Whatever.” Maya scowls. “It’s still a dumb school dance. Now, if this were a _ college party…” _

She trails off, wiggling her eyebrows, and lets out a bark of laughter as Riley tries to swat her arm.

“Maya!”

“Riley!” Maya counters, poking out her tongue until Riley starts laughing too.

“You’re ridiculous,” Riley says when she catches her breath. 

“Takes one to know one. So,” Maya says, rubbing her hands together, “how do you want to do this?”

Riley seems to deflate. “I don’t know. Maybe he’s just not interested?”

“Of course he is!” Maya replies instantly, as is her best-friend duty. “He’d be a fool not to be — and come on, you guys are friends now? Maybe he just doesn’t know how to ask for more?”

_ I wonder what that feels like, _ Maya thinks wryly but does not say, her heart giving a painful pang as Riley lights up.

“Really? You think so?”

Maya nods. “Of course.” An idea sparks in her mind, and she sits up. “You know what we should do?”

“What?”

“We should make him jealous. That’s how these things work — if you make him jealous, he’ll realize what he’s missing and ask you to the dance!”

“That’s brilliant!” Riley grins. “Just like in a romantic comedy too! Oh, but how should I make him jealous though…”

“That’s easy,” Maya scoffs. “You just need to pretend to date somebody else in front of, say they’re taking you to the dance — I’m sure it’ll work like a charm.”

Riley nods along, her eyes sparkling now. “Thank you — that’s perfect. Do you think — no, that's too much…”

Suddenly curious, Maya leans forward. “What is?”

This close, it’s easy to see how Riley’s cheeks go pink. She clears her throat and looks away. “I was just thinking… You should do it!”

Maya chokes. “Do what?”

“Date me. Well, pretend to date me.” Her bright eyes cloud over as she starts to energetically shake her head. “Only it’s okay if you don’t want to. I’m sure I can find someone else…” She frowns, deep in thought, and starts biting on her lower lip. “Do you think Lucas would buy an entirely fake-boyfriend?”

“So your options are me or Mr. Perfect from when we were eight and you decided you wanted to marry your imaginary friend?” Somehow, Maya’s not surprised by the last part; the first, however…

Riley simply shrugs. “Well, yeah. Of course. I mean, if Lucas doesn’t ask I’d still want to go to the dance, and I know I’d have fun with you.”

Maya coughs to hide the hysterical laughter bubbling up in her throat. She can feel her cheeks starting to burn. “Alright then!” she shouts out with all the passion of a conqueror who knows how doomed he is. “I’ll do it.”

“Really?” Riley’s eyes go wide with excitement, and before she knows it, Maya’s almost tackled off the bed by an over-enthusiastic Riley. _ “Thankyouthankyouthankyou.” _

Maya laughs, glad for the way the hug lets her hide her face. “You’re welcome. Just don’t make me regret it, okay?”

She can feel Riley nodding against her shoulder. “Cross my heart and hope to die. This is gonna be _ awesome!” _ She jerks away from Maya as quickly as she had tackled her. “I gotta go tell Mum and Dad! BRB!”

This time, _ Maya’s _ eyes flow wide open as she scrambles to follow after her. _ “No! _ ” _ ” _ she shouts, before continuing in a much calmer voice. “I mean, is that really necessary? How will you explain it when Lucas comes to take you to the dance instead of me?”

Riley pauses with her hand on the doorknob. Her shoulders fall. “Oh.”

Maya snorts, crawling off the bed. “Yeah, oh. You should probably wait for a while before you tell them?”

Riley grimaces. “But I don’t like lying to them.” She moans.

Maya mirrors her. Yeah, she doesn’t like lying to the Matthews, they’re much too nice for that — present company firmly included. “It’s not really lying?” Maya tries. “Think of it as more of a… surprise you’re keeping? To be revealed at the right time?”

Riley frowns, but she backs away from the door. “Fine,” she states mulishly, “but only if they don’t ask me about the dance.”

Maya sighs. “I guess that’s the best I’m gonna get, huh?”

“Sorry?” Riley says with an apologetic grin.

“Nah, it’s fine,” Maya replies, waving a hand. “I knew you were a terrible liar getting into this. Speaking of! We should make rules.”

Riley visibly perks up. “Ooh, rules! I like rules!” She saunters back to the bed, pulling a sparkly pink notebook from under the bed — not her journal, no, another prink sparkly notebook.

Maya laughs. “I’m well aware. So, rules?”

* * *

The rules are as follow:

1- No telling anyone about their arrangement (“Yes, Riley, that means your parents.” “But _ Peaches…” _ “No. Telling. Anyone.” “Fine.”)

2- No cutesie nicknames (“Not even _ Peaches?” _ “... No, that one is okay. But no cupcake, or sugar, or darling, or —” “My love?” “Ngk.”)

3- No love declaration (“But how will anyone believe we’re dating if I don’t tell you I love you? Besides, we say it all the time already.” “You’re right… Okay, fine, you can scrap rule 3.”)

4- No kissing. 

4b- Only kissing on the cheek, or hand, or head. No liplock. (“What if it’s necessary though?” “Riley, what type of situation would even require us to kiss?” “Well, I don’t know, but what if?” “Ugh… Okay fine. You can add it.”)

4c- Kissing is allowed if absolutely necessary!!

“And of course,” Maya adds as she eyes the mess they’ve made of the page, “we should end this whenever your boy wisens up and asks you to the dance.”

“Oh, yes, you’re right.” Is it just a trick of light, or does Riley actually look disappointed at that?

Maya shakes her head. Probably just wishful thinking.

* * *

Their plan, however, backfires on the very first day, when they arrive to class hand in hand and Mr. Matthews gives them a bright, happy smile.

Right. He’s going to know too, which means that in about half an hour everyone from the lunch ladies to Maya’s own mother are going to know about this.

He even holds them back after class to tell them how proud he is of them, and that he supports love in any and all its forms, and that if anyone here gives them any trouble they should come see him immediately and he’ll deal with it.

It’s a lovely sentiment — as expected from Mr. Matthews though — but it makes Maya wish the floor would just open up beneath her and pull her under.

Maya isn’t even aware of what she says back, just that she takes Riley’s hand again and drags her out of the room and into the corridor — where of course, Lucas and Farkle are waiting for them.

Maya freezes. “What’s up, guys?” She tries to raise a hand to wave hello, belatedly realizes that’s the hand holding Riley’s, and awkwardly waves the other one.

“What did Mr. Matthews wants?”

“Oh, just to congratulate us on our new relationship,” Maya replies with a shrug. “Nothing too important.”

Riley elbows her. “Hey, this is important, Peaches.”

Maya pouts back. “Aw, you know what I mean, Riles.”

When Maya looks back at him, Lucas is blinking, brow furrowed in confusion. “Congratulations?” He looks back to Farkle. “But wait, I thought you already were dating? Isn’t that what you said, Farkle?”

“So my calculations were off by a few days —”

_ “Months.” _

“— weeks, whatever, it happens to the best of us. The human heart is a delicate machine.”

“Wait, you guys thought Maya and I were already dating?” Riley asks, incredulous.

“What, am I not good enough for you, Riles?” Maya pouts, batting her eyelashes and putting her free hand over her heart like she’s been dealt a deadly blow. “However will I recover?”

Riley flushes pink. She shakes her head rapidly. “No, of course not. I mean, yes, of course you are. You’re the best.” Her eyes go wide, and her grip tightens on Maya’s hand. “And that’s why… That’s why we should be dating.”

“We… already are, remember?” Maya answers after a long beat, sending Riley a questioning look. 

Riley nods enthusiastically. “Right. Yes, yes we are. Dating, that’s us. My Peaches and I. In a relationship.”

She pulls Maya close to her, almost causing them to tumble, and Maya takes advantage of it to hiss in her ear, “You’re being _ weird. _ Stop it.”

_ “I can’t,” _ Riley hisses back in a panic.

_ “Just breathe. And stop talking!” _

But Riley doesn’t stop talking. Instead, she says, “Yes. We realized it would make more sense for us to be together since we already love each other, than to try to make room for an inferior boy that might come between us — also, we’re going to the dance together.”

And then she turns right back around, dragging Maya back into the classroom they’ve just left and closing the door behind them.

Luckily, Mr. Matthews seems to have left it already, so they’re blessedly alone.

“What was that?” Maya asks as soon as the door closes. She’s not sure whether to be impressed or worried, because Riley is almost never this assertive — especially not around boys.

Riley just squares her shoulders. “Peaches, I’ve just realized something. I don’t think we should fake-date anymore.”

Maya feels her eyebrows climb up even as something cold takes hold of her heart and squeezes. “What? Why? It’s only been one day? What happened?”

“No, I mean I think we should real-date instead. Proper-date? Just date?”

“You do?” Maya splutters. “What? Since when? You don’t even like girls.”

“I like _ you, _ Maya,” Riley replies softly as she shakes her head. “I love you since, like always—”

“Duh.”

“And I know you love me too, and _ you _ do like girls, so… Why not?”

Maya crosses her arms and rocks back on her heels, trying to quell the stupid hope rising in her chest.

“Are you only asking because you don’t think Lucas will ask you to the dance again? Because if so, I really need to know that.”

Riley looks offended. “What? No! Of course not. Come on, Maya, I wouldn’t do that to you. Erm, again, that is,” she adds, her cheeks an adorable pink. “So, hey, what do you say?”

Maya takes a small step forward. “I have no idea how to date someone —”

Riley starts grinning. “Great, me neither.”

“— and I’ll probably drive you crazy —” Another step.

“You already do.”

— and I’ll most definitely mess this up,” Maya adds, her lips twitching down into a grimace. 

“Hey, no,” Riley interrupts, closing the space between them with one large step and taking Maya’s hands in hers. “You’re not going to mess up — but _if_ you do, we’ll just fix it, like we always do. I know you, Maya Hart, and I love _you_ _for you.”_

Maya has to blink back tears. “That’s not fair,” she replies, sniffling (just a little, mind you). “I’m supposed to be the one being all romantic and you’re supposed to be the one crying.”

Riley laughs. “That’s okay,” she says, “we can take turns.”

It’s hard to say who leans in first, but they meet in the middle again. Maya’s pretty sure a first kiss isn’t supposed to be this wet and salty, but she wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world, because it’s _ Riley. _

It ends too quickly — mostly because they can’t keep grinning, which, as it turns out, makes it very hard to kiss someone.

“For the record,” Maya adds as she pulls back, “that was a yes to the real-dating.”

Riley snorts. “You’re not going to let me forget that one, are you?”

“Not a chance, Matthews, not a chance.”


End file.
